Information processing apparatus configured to block inputs from an operation panel when the operation panel is swiveled

ABSTRACT

An information processing apparatus includes a casing, a cover that is movable to an open position to provide access to an interior of the casing, an operation panel configured to receive an input operation and mounted on the casing to be movable between a first position at which the operation panel interferes with the opening of the cover and a second position at which the operation panel does not interfere with the opening of the cover, and a control unit including a processor that is configured to block any input operation received by the operation unit when the operation panel moves to the second position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/028,909, filed on Jul. 6, 2018, which is based upon and claims thebenefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-141824,filed on Jul. 21, 2017, the entire contents of each of which areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein relate generally to an informationprocessing apparatus configured to block inputs from an operation panelwhen the operation panel is swiveled.

BACKGROUND

In order to realize miniaturization and space saving while providing anoperation panel that is sufficiently large, the operation panel of aninformation processing apparatus may be installed on a main body portionthat includes a printer or the like. In such an information processingapparatus, a casing that covers an upper surface of the main bodyportion may be configured to be opened and closed so that paper using inprinting can be replenished or exchanged. During the opening and closingof the casing, the operation panel is swiveled with respect to the mainbody portion so that it is retracted to a position that does notinterfere with the opening and closing of the casing.

In the information processing apparatus as described above, when theoperation panel is swiveled, an operator may erroneously touch theoperation panel and cause an unintended input to be made.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of alabel printer according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the label printer in a statewhere an upper cover and a front cover are opened.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the label printer illustratinga state where the upper cover and the front cover are closed and anoperation panel is swiveled.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view illustrating the label printer.

FIG. 5 is s perspective view illustrating an external appearance of aswivel unit and a vicinity thereof.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical connection of eachhardware component of the label printer.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating functional units of a controlunit of the label printer.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing executed by aCPU of the label printer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments provide an information processing apparatus configured toblock inputs from an operation panel when the operation panel isswiveled to reduce unintended operations on the operation panel by anoperator.

In general, according to an embodiment, there is provided an informationprocessing apparatus including a casing, a cover that is movable to anopen position to provide access to an interior of the casing, anoperation panel configured to receive an input operation and mounted onthe casing to be movable between a first position at which the operationpanel interferes with the opening of the cover and a second position atwhich the operation panel does not interfere with the opening of thecover, and a control unit including a processor that is configured toblock any input operation received by the operation unit when theoperation panel moves to the second position.

Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 isa perspective view illustrating an external appearance of a labelprinter 1, which is an example of an information processing apparatus.The label printer 1 includes a main body portion 100 and an operationpanel 200.

The operation panel 200 includes a display unit 210 and an input panel220. The display unit 210 is, for example, a Liquid Crystal Display(LCD), and displays information to an operator using images andcharacters. The input panel 220 includes a keyboard 221 and a touchpanel 222. The touch panel 222 is provided so as to be superimposed onthe surface of the display unit 210 and receives an operation accordingto the display screen of the display unit 210. The keyboard 221 includesa plurality of push buttons (e.g., keys).

The main body portion 100 includes a casing 110, a paper storage unit120, a printing unit 130, a backing paper winding unit 140, a controlunit 150, and the like. The control unit 150 controls each unit(printing unit 130, backing paper winding unit 140, operation panel200).

The casing 110 is a box-shaped container having a substantiallyrectangular parallelepiped shape and accommodates each unit describedabove (paper storage unit 120, printing unit 130, backing paper windingunit 140, control unit 150, and the like). The casing 110 includes abase portion 111, an upper cover 112, and a front cover 113.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the label printer 1 in a statewhere the upper cover 112 and the front cover 113 are opened. The baseportion 111 is a portion other than the upper cover 112 and the frontcover 113 among the components constituting the casing 110. The baseportion 111 is divided into right and left portions in plan view, andone side (right side portion in this embodiment) is larger than theother side (left side portion). The left portion and the right portionof the base portion 111 are separated by a wall 114.

The upper cover 112 partially opens and closes the upper surface of oneside (right side portion in this embodiment) of the casing 110, which isdivided by the wall 114. The upper cover 112 has a substantiallyrectangular outer shape and the short side on the far side is rotatablyattached to the upper-end portion on the rear side of the right sideportion of the base portion 111. An axis serving as the center ofrotation of the upper cover 112 is illustrated as the rotation shaft 112a in the drawing. The upper cover 112 moves between an open positionwhere the casing 110 is opened and a closed position where the uppercover 112 is closed according to the rotation. The casing 110 is openedand closed as the upper cover 112 rotates.

The front cover 113 is at the front of one side (right side portion inthis embodiment) of the casing 110, which is divided by the wall 114.The front cover 113 is a door that partially opens and closes the frontsurface of the casing 110. The front cover 113 has a substantiallysquare outer shape, and the lower side thereof is rotatably attached tothe lower end portion of the base portion 111 at the near side of theright side portion of the base portion 111. An axis serving as thecenter of rotation of the front cover 113 is illustrated as a rotationshaft 113 a in the drawing. The front cover 113 moves between an openposition where the casing 110 is opened and a closed position where thefront cover 113 is closed according to the rotation. The casing 110 isopened and closed as the front cover 113 rotates.

The paper storage unit 120, the printing unit 130, and the backing paperwinding unit 140 are provided on a side (right side portion in thisembodiment) that is opened and closed by the upper cover 112 of thecasing 110. The control unit 150 is accommodated in a side (left sideportion in this embodiment) separated by the wall 114, which is notopened even when the upper cover 112 and the front cover 113 are opened.

The paper storage unit 120 stores roll paper. The paper storage unit 120includes a shaft 121 that passes through the winding center of the rollpaper and a pair of side plates 122 that presses both side ends of theroll paper.

The roll paper is a wound paper. The paper is, for example, a labelroll, a label without a backing paper, a receipt paper, or the like. Thelabel roll is a roll to which label is stuck side by side to astrip-type backing paper. The label is a label in which one surface of apiece of paper of a predetermined size is a printing surface and anadhesive layer is provided on the rear side of the printing surface. Thelabel without the backing paper is a strip-type label is wound without abacking paper. The receipt paper is a strip-type paper.

The printing unit 130 prints on the paper fed from the paper storageunit 120. The printing unit 130 includes a print head 131 and a platenroller 132. The print head 131 is, for example, a thermal head, andemits heat for coloring the color former provided on the printingsurface of the thermal paper. The platen roller 132 is a roller havingelasticity at the surface layer portion, and rotates while pressing apaper (label or receipt paper) against the print head 131 to transportthe paper. The print head 131 is attached to the inner surface of theupper cover 112. The platen roller 132 is provided on the base portion111.

The paper printed by the printing unit 130 is discharged through anissuing port 115 (see FIG. 1) provided on the front surface of thecasing 110. The issuing port 115 is formed between the moving end of theupper cover 112 and the moving end of the front cover 113 when both theupper cover 112 and the front cover 113 are in a position to close thecasing 110. The front cover 113 has a concave portion 113 b that islower at the center portion of the upper-end portion than at both sideend portions. The concave portion 113 b and the front end 112 b of theupper cover 112 form the issuing port 115.

When the paper storage unit 120 stores the label roll, the backing paperwinding unit 140 winds up the backing paper after the label is peeledoff. The backing paper winding unit 140 includes a winding shaft 141that serves as a winding center while holding the front end portion ofthe backing paper, and a sideplate 142 that regulates side edges of thebacking paper.

The backing paper winding portion 140 is attached to the inner surfaceof the front cover 113 and is drawn out of the casing 110 when the frontcover 113 is opened. In a state where the front cover 113 is closed, thebacking paper winding portion 140 is positioned on the lower side of theprinting unit 130.

Here, the label printer 1 further includes a swivel unit 300. The lowerend portion of the operation panel 200 on the left side thereof isconnected to the upper surface of the left side portion of the main bodyportion 100 through the swivel unit 300. The swivel unit 300 supportsthe operation panel 200 so as to be rotatable in the swivel direction.Here, the swivel is a rotation around a rotational axis that is alignedsubstantially along the vertical direction. The swivel unit 300 has arotation shaft 310 (see FIG. 5) that is aligned substantially along thevertical direction.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the label printer 1illustrating when the upper cover 112 and the front cover 113 are closedand the operation panel 200 is swiveled. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan viewillustrating the label printer 1. When the operation panel 200 is in anoperation reception state in the orientation illustrated in FIG. 1,since the operation panel is positioned above the upper cover 112, theupper cover 112 cannot be opened. Therefore, in order to open the uppercover 112, it is necessary for the operation panel 200 to be swiveled toa position that does not interfere with the opening of the upper cover112, e.g., to the position illustrated in FIG. 3. The swivel directionin this example is the direction of arrow IVA (see FIG. 4).

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an outer appearance of theswivel unit 300 and its vicinity. FIG. 5 is in a state viewed from therear right side as represented by the three axes illustrated in FIG. 5.

The swivel unit 300 includes a support portion 320 and a light shieldingplate 330 that rotates around the rotation shaft 310, and a light sensor340. The support portion 320 supports a pair of arm portions 202 and 203attached to the rear surface 201 of the operation panel 200 so as to berotatable to accommodate tilting of the operation panel 200.

The light sensor 340 is fixedly provided on the side of the main bodyportion 100 and does not swivel (i.e., rotate around rotation shaft310). The light sensor 340 includes a light emitting unit 341 and alight receiving unit 342, which form a gap 343 of a predetermined sizetherebetween. The light emitting unit 341 and the light receiving unit342 are disposed so that the light receiving unit 342 can receive lightemitted from the light emitting unit 341 and if the light receiving unit342 captures light, it can be determined that there is no object in theslit 343 and if the light receiving unit 342 does not capture light, itcan be determined that an object is present in the slit 343.

The control unit 150 receives the output of the light sensor 340.

The light shielding plate 330 rotates with the swivel of the operationpanel 200. In other words, the light shielding plate 330 rotates alongwith the operation panel 200. The light shielding plate 330 has an armportion 331 and a bent portion 332. The arm portion 331 is a portionextending from the swivel rotation shaft 310 in a direction orthogonalto the rotation shaft 310. The bent portion 332 is provided at a tipportion (at a side spaced apart from rotation shaft 310) of the armportion 331, and moves in and out of the slit 343 of the light sensor340 as the light shielding plate 330 rotates.

In a state where the label printer 1 is used, the operation panel 200faces the front surface, and the bent portion 332 is present in the slit343, that is, in a state where the light shielding plate 330 is detectedby the light sensor 340. When the light shielding plate 330 is rotatedbeyond a predetermined threshold value (for example, about 5° as anangle in a plan view), the bent portion 332 moves out from the slit 343,and the light shielding plate 330 is not detected by the light sensor340.

In response to the light sensor 340 not detecting the light shieldingplate 330, the control unit 150 blocks receipt of any operation made onthe input panel 220. In other words, the operation made on the inputpanel 220 becomes invalid.

Next, FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the electrical connectionof each hardware component of the label printer 1. The label printer 1includes a central processing unit (CPU) 10, a read only memory (ROM)11, a random access memory (RAM) 12, a system bus 13, an I/O port 14, aprinting unit controller 16, a display unit controller 17, a touch panelcontroller 18 and a keyboard controller 19.

The system bus 13 connects the CPU 10 and the units described above (ROM11, RAM 12, I/O port 14, printing unit controller 16, display unitcontroller 17, touch panel controller 18, and keyboard controller 19).

The CPU 10, the ROM 11, and the RAM 12 make up the control unit 150. TheCPU 10 executes various arithmetic processing and the like and centrallycontrols each unit. The ROM 11 is, for example, a flash ROM or the like,and stores fixed data in a non-volatile manner. The RAM 12 storesvariable data in a volatile manner and is used as a work area or thelike. In addition, in the ROM 11, a control program, a predeterminedlabel format and various files to be described below are stored.

By executing the program, the CPU 10 functions, for example, as an inputblocking unit 151, a switching unit 152, and an automatic switching unit153. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the functional units of thecontrol unit 150.

The input blocking unit 151 is a functional unit that blocks anerroneous input operation made on the input panel 220 from beingreceived, e.g., when an input operation is made on the input panel 220after the operation panel 200 is swiveled beyond a predeterminedthreshold value.

The switching unit 152 switches validity and invalidity of the inputblocking unit 151. In other words, when the input blocking unit 151 isset to “valid” by the switching unit 152, the input blocking unit 151performs the function of blocking inputs made on the input panel 220,and when the input blocking unit 151 is set to “invalid” by theswitching unit 152, the input blocking unit 151 does not perform thefunction of blocking inputs made on tine input panel 220.

The automatic switching unit 153 sets the input blocking unit 151 to“valid” when a predetermined event requiring opening and closing of theupper cover 112 is generated and set to “invalid” in other cases. In thepresent embodiment, the predetermined event includes paper jam of theprinting unit 130, paper replenishment due to the paper storage unit 120being out of paper, or the like.

The control program executed by the label printer 1 is recorded andprovided on a readable recording medium by a computer such as a CD-ROM,a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, and a digital versatile disk (DVD) in afile in an installable format or an executable format.

In addition, the control program executed by the label printer 1 may bestored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet anddownloaded via the network. In addition, the control program executed bythe label printer 1 may be provided or distributed via a network such asthe Internet.

The I/O port 14 handles communication between the light sensor 340 andthe CPU 10. The printing unit controller 16 drives and controls theprinting unit 130. The display unit controller 17 drives and controlsthe display unit 210. The touch panel controller 18 drives and controlsthe touch panel 222. The keyboard controller 19 drives and controls thekeyboard 221.

The CPU 10 uses the image memory provided in the RAM 12 to drive andcontrol the display unit controller 17 based on image information storedin the ROM 11 or synthesized in the image memory. Accordingly, a largenumber of liquid crystal shutters in which the display unit 210 includesin matrix shapes are driven to be selectively opened and closed, and animage based on image information is displayed and output on the displayunit 210.

Further, the CPU 10 drives and controls the touch panel controller 18 torecognize the position of the XY coordinates on the touch panel 222touched by the operator, and acquires the coordinate data. Accordingly,by synchronizing the positional relationship between the button or thelike displayed on the display unit 210 and the coordinates of the touchpanel 222, the same function as the keyboard 221 is obtained by thecombination of the touch panel 222 and the display unit 210.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing executed bythe CPU 10. First, the CPU 10 waits for a change in the output of thelight sensor 340 (No in Act 1). In Act 1, when the operation panel 200is rotated beyond a predetermined threshold value and the light sensor340 detects the movement of the light shielding plate 330 due to therotation (Yes in Act 1), the CPU 10 (in particular, the switching unit152) determines whether or not the input blocking function is set tovalid (Act 2). When the input blocking function is set to invalid (No inAct 2), the CPU 10 ends the processing.

In Act 2, when the input blocking function is set to valid (Yes in Act2), the CPU 10 (in particular, the automatic switching unit 153)determines whether or not the use of the input blocking function islimited to a particular type of error (e.g., paper jam or out of paper)(Act 3). In Act 3, if it is determined that the use of the inputblocking function is not limited to the particular type of error (No inAct 3), the CPU 10 (in particular the input blocking unit 151) blocksany input operation made on the input panel 220 (Act 4).

In Act 3, if it is determined that use of the input blocking function islimited to the particular type of error (Yes in Act 3), the CPU 10checks the presence or absence of the particular type of error (Act 5),and if the particular type of error is present (Yes in Act 5), the CPU10 proceeds to the processing of Act 4 to block the input operation madeon the input panel 220. On the other hand, if the particular type oferror is absent (No in Act 5), the CPU 10 ends the process.

Next, the CPU 10 waits for the operation panel 200 to return to a usestate of the label printer 1 (that is, state facing front surface) (Noin Act 6), and when returning (Yes in Act 6), input operation made onthe input panel 220 is permitted (Act 7) and the process is ended.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when theoperation panel 200 is swiveled to a certain extent or more, theoperation on the operation panel 200 can become invalid. Accordingly, amalfunction due to reception of an unintended operation can beprevented.

In a case of the label printer 1 for positioning and using the operationpanel 200 on a flow line of the upper cover 112 of the main body portion100 as in this embodiment, when the inside of the main body portion 100needs to be worked on, e.g., for maintenance, the upper cover 112 isopened, but, at that time, the operation panel 200 is moved by a swivelor the like. By detecting the movement of the operation panel 200 andappropriately controlling the operation panel 200 based on the detectionresult, the problem of erroneous inputs can be prevented.

In the embodiment described above, although the operation panel 200 isconnected to the upper surface of the main body portion 100, and theoperation becomes invalid when the operation panel 200 is swiveled, inimplementation, as long as the operation becomes invalid when theorientation of the operation panel 200 with respect to the main bodyportion 100 is changed, another structure may be used. In other words,how to move the operation panel 200 with respect to the main bodyportion 100 is not limited to the swivel. For example, the operationpanel 200 may be connected not to the upper surface but to the frontsurface of the main body portion 100. In addition, for example, theoperation panel 200 may be rotatable in the tilt direction with respectto the main body portion 100. More specifically, for example, the frontsurface of the casing 110 can be openable and closable, and theoperation panel 200 is connected to the front surface, and is tilted toa position where it will not interfere with the opening and closing.

In addition, in the present embodiment, although the input panel 220 isintegrated with the display unit 210, the display unit 210 may beseparate from the display unit 210 in implementation.

Further, in the present embodiment, the label printer 1 is described asan example of the information processing apparatus. Another example ofthe information processing apparatus is an apparatus used as a POSterminal apparatus. In this case, the opening and closing of the uppercover 112 is performed, for example, for replenishing or replacing areceipt printer paper, corresponding to a jam of a receipt printer,collection of bills and coins, replenishment, countermeasure againstclogging, and the like.

In addition, in the present embodiment, although the label printer 1includes all of the input blocking unit 151, the switching unit 152, andthe automatic switching unit 153, the switching unit 152 and theautomatic switching unit 153 are optional, and may be omitted.

Further, in the present embodiment, although the light sensor 340 isdescribed as an example of the detection unit, in implementation, thedetection unit may be realized by another device such as a slit sensor,a mechanical switch, a rotary encoder.

The program executed by the label printer 1 according to the presentembodiment is stored in advance in a ROM or the like.

The program executed by the label printer 1 of the present embodimentmay be recorded on a readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, aflexible disk (FD), a CD-R, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or the likein a file in an installable format or an executable format.

Further, a program executed by the label printer 1 of the presentembodiment may be stored in a computer connected to a network such asthe Internet and downloaded via the network. In addition, the programexecuted by the label printer 1 of the present embodiment may bedistributed via a network such as the Internet.

The program executed by the label printer 1 according to the presentembodiment has a modular configuration including each unit describedabove (input blocking unit 151, switching unit 152, and automaticswitching unit 153). The CPU (processor) reads the program from thestorage medium and executes the program to load each unit describedabove into the main storage device. Accordingly, the input blocking unit151, the switching unit 152, and the automatic switching unit 153 arestored in the main storage device to be executed therefrom.

While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments havebeen presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit thescope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described hereinmay be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, variousomissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodimentsdescribed herein may be made without departing from the spirit of theinventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intendedto cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope andspirit of the inventions.

What is claimed is:
 1. An information processing apparatus comprising: acasing having housed therein a roll holder, a printing unit positionedto print on paper that is unwound from a roll held by the roll holder,and a paper discharge port through which the paper on which printing hasbeen carried out is discharged; a cover that is movable to an openposition to provide access to an interior of the casing; an operationpanel configured to receive an input operation and mounted on the casingto be movable between a first position at which the operation panelinterferes with the opening of the cover and a second position at whichthe operation panel does not interfere with the opening of the cover;and a control unit including a processor that is configured to block anyinput operation received by the operation panel when the operation panelmoves to the second position and an event requiring access to theinterior of the casing is detected.
 2. The information processingapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the event is a paper jam.
 3. Theinformation processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the eventis an out of paper condition.
 4. The information processing apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the operation panel is mounted on a swivelunit that is attached to the casing, and the operation panel is moved tothe second position by swiveling.
 5. The information processingapparatus according to claim 4, wherein the operation panel swivels fromthe first position to the second position by an angle that is greaterthan a predetermined threshold angle.
 6. The information processingapparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a detection unitconfigured to detect that the swiveled by an angle greater than thepredetermined threshold angle.
 7. The information processing apparatusaccording to claim 6, wherein the detection unit includes an opticalsensor configured to detect an object when the operation panel is in thefirst position and to not detect the object when the operation panel isin the second position.
 8. The information processing apparatusaccording to claim 7, wherein the object moves as the operation panelswivels.
 9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the roll held by the roll holder is a label paper roll.
 10. Theinformation processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rollheld by the roll holder is a receipt paper roll.